‘A giant in Ohio hockey’: Blue Jackets mourn death of scout, broadcaster Bill Davidge

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bill Davidge, who helped establish Division I hockey at Miami University and later became the program’s second coach, and then had a second career as a longtime TV and radio analyst with the Columbus Blue Jackets, died on Tuesday. He was 72.

His son, Rob, confirmed his passing to The Athletic.

Davidge, one of the Blue Jackets’ earliest employees, was a pro and amateur scout for the club in the late 1990s as Columbus prepared to enter the NHL as an expansion franchise in 2000. He then switched to the broadcast booth, where he was ever-present on the airwaves, both locally and nationally.

Along with his radio sidekick George Matthews, the Blue Jackets’ first play-by-play voice, Davidge reached near folk-hero status with fans in Columbus.

His perfectly coiffed white hair, power suits and infectious energy were ever-present — earning him the nickname “Dapper” — as were his homespun tails of life growing up in Dunnville, Ontario, a tiny village of 6,000 on the north shore of Lake Erie. In Dunnville, Davidge created his own Lake Wobegon.

Matthews, in a text exchange on Wednesday morning with The Athletic, said “nobody breathed the Blue Jackets’ brand more than Billy.”

“Nobody enjoyed their time on this Earth more than Billy D,” Matthews wrote. “He lived each day tip to tip. He made the world a more enjoyable place, and he’ll be sadly missed by anyone whose life he touched.”

Davidge’s positive attitude, even as he battled cancer and the effects of a stroke in recent years, never seemed to fade. “Any day at the rink,” he used to say, with a big smile, “is a heck of a day, ain’t it?”

“Bill was a true ambassador, not just for the Blue Jackets but for the game of hockey throughout Ohio,” said Dave Maetzold, who worked side-by-side with Davidge on Blue Jackets TV broadcasts through the years. “He was always positive, always prepared, and, of course, always impeccably dressed. He set the standard for the broadcast.

“Personally, he was so helpful to be in my first few years on the broadcast team. A true mentor to so many of us learning the intricacies of being a part of an NHL broadcasts. A giant in Ohio hockey … I’ll miss him dearly.”

Davidge played four seasons at Ohio State in the mid-1970s, serving as the Buckeyes’ captain for the 1976-77 season. Two seasons later, he joined Miami’s inaugural staff as an assistant under head coach Steve Cady.

After seven seasons as an assistant, he replaced Cady atop the program for a four-year run beginning in 1985. He went on to coach Miami’s men’s golf program for several seasons before returning to his first love, hockey.

When the Blue Jackets were granted an expansion franchise in the late 1990s, then-general manager Doug MacLean hired Davidge as an amateur and pro scout for the two seasons leading up to the franchise’s arrival.

Once the franchise was up and running, Davidge moved to the radio booth, where he and Matthews brought the franchise to life for many first-time hockey fans.

While Matthews was the rapid-fire play-by-play voice, with the cadence of a caffeinated auctioneer, Davidge was the perfect counterbalance. He took time to explain to what was happening and why, though the lens of a coach.

Davidge retired from the Blue Jackets and broadcasting following the 2018-19 season amid continuing health challenges. He was thrilled, that year, to have witnessed and broadcasted the Blue Jackets’ first playoff series, a first-round sweep of Tampa Bay.

“When you were in a conversation with Billy, he made you feel like you were the only person in the room,” said Minnesota Wild forward Nick Foligno, who spent nine seasons in Columbus and was the Blue Jackets’ captain for six seasons. “He understood the game like a coach, but he also understood the people in it, and I always appreciated our chats on hockey, but also life. The encouragement and insight he provided me were always deep appreciated.

“He went through a lot with his health, and he battled hard. I admired how he stayed faithful and strong during what surely were his most difficult times. He will deeply missed, but never forgotten, and that’s a great testament to his life.”

Funeral services are pending.

“The Columbus Blue Jackets are deeply saddened by the passing of Bill Davidge,” a club statement read. “Our organization has never known a greater advocate or ambassador for our team and sport than Bill. If the Blue Jackets were somewhere in the community, there was a good chance Bill was there, and he was making an impact. There were no strangers in his world, only friends.

“Hockey. The Blue Jackets. Ohio State. Miami University. Golf. People. Bill had many passions in life, but none stronger than family. We send our sincerest condolences to his wife, Jayna, his children, grandchildren and many, many friends and fans. All that knew him are better for it.”